We arrived in Sydney, Australia, on May 23rd. We were received at the airport by Kuru's friend Johnson Mathews, who then took us to Kuru's father's eldest sisters daughters Elizabeth and Mary John. (Left to right: Kuru, Mary, Elizabeth and Roshini) 

Mary took us sightseeing the next day. We went first to the Blue Mountains, where there is an abandoned mine. We took a small train down the mineshaft. At one point in time we were perpendicular to the bottom. Our first "ride". Not bad.

The first and second pictures were taken at the bottom on a walkway.






















The third one is in a cable car back to the top

Our next halt was at the Featherdale Wildlife Park where some of the birds and animals were free to roam around.

The cockatoo in the first picture amused us a lot by carrying on and on with sounds as though in conversation, and every time we moved away it would start again.

The kangaroos came close because we had a leaf cone of their food supplied by the park.

We had to go to Australia for Roshini to be this close to a peacock from India. 

The Three Sisters in Australia

Next we went to see the Three Sisters

Koalas sleep most of the time. They eat a lot of leaves and just go to sleep. Amazing how they are able to balance themselves while sleeping in the crooks of tree branches

Elizabeth and Mary's older sister Grace's son Sujith lives in the Sydney area, though not in the city. His family lives in Sydney and so we were able to see them when they came to celebrate the older son George's birthday with the great aunts and us. (Left to right: Elizabeth and Mary seated; George, Roshini, Sujith's wife Jean and younger son Jerry standing)

Kuru was led to accept Jesus as his Saviour and Lord by the Rev Stan Skillicorn, the Church Missionary Society missionary-pastor of the St George's Church in Hyderabad. Kuru was 14 at the time. Kuru was meeting Joan and Stan after 41 years. From the moment we began planning a visit to Australia this was a priority on Kuru's itinerary.

A second missionary couple from those days was Patricia and Donald Hood. Donald took English composition one term at the St George's Grammar School and encouraged Kuru to write because of the good commendation for two of his compositions. Next to Roshini in the second pic is Mrs Bellingham, the widow of the Rev Eric Bellingham who was principal and pastor when Kuru's family arrived in Hyderabad.

Roshini's mother's sister's son Manoj Chacko lives in Sydney, an ordained minister of the Anglican Church.
We spent a day with him and his wife Ramabhai.

It began with a surprise: another aunt, who lives in Boston, USA, was passing through on her way to Canberra. Manoj quickly took us to the airport so that we could spend some time with her.

Manoj and Ramabhai took us to Centre Point, which has a revolving restaurant at the very top. The Observation Deck and restaurant, which at 305 metres high, is the highest observation deck in the Southern Hemisphere.












At the restaurant's buffet we were able to have a taste of camel and kangaroo meat, and lots of seafood. One revolution of the deck gives a full circle of the city. We were there for 2 hours and 20 minutes.

After that we wandered around in the building and the last pix show us beside glass encased sculptures of a Chinese bride and groom and of Queen Victoria at her coronation with her crown jewels

Without these pix there wouldn't be any proof that we were in Sydney

The day concluded with dinner at the home of a seminary professor, Dr Peter O'Brien and his wife Mary, whom Kuru was meeting after 33 years

Johnny, my freind

Johnson (Johnny) Mathews and Kuru became friends when Johnny was working for Select Books and Kuru was chairperson of the board of governors of Select Books.







Later when Sabita (Saby) a Hindu convert from Sindhi background and Johnny married Kuru went to see them in Poona.In 1998 when Kuru was returning from UK after speaking at the 75th anniversary celebration event of Crosslinks, he stopped to visit them in Dubai, and since he was visiting, they planned that he should dedicate their second daughter, Rachel. The other children are Ruth (eldest) and Joshua, a keen soccer player. We spent a few days with them.

Preaching in Sydney

Johnny had forwarded Kuru's article on the gospel of Judas to his pastor. Pastor Gladwyn Turner wanted him to preach on Sunday 28th.









The second picture shows Roshhini with Helen Turner, the pastor's wife, who is also associate pastor.











The third pic shows us with the pastors and Saby and Johnny, and another member/friend.

Sunday ended with visiting Sharon and David Lawrence old Lucknow friends now settled in Sydney. Their lovely daughter Gillian and handsome son Andre are also seen in the picture. David's mother, and brother Colin (both known to us), Colin's family, and an elder brother Peter were also there for lunch, but the photo opportunity was remembered only after they had left.

On May 30th we got to Melbourne. Jess and Ishaaq were at the airport to receive us. As Kuru exited the plane and saw Ishaaq, he went, "O my goodness!" when he saw Ishaaq. Take a look. He looks Middle Eastern! The first pic is in their lounge.

That evening there was a family get together with Jessica's brother Sam, wife Natalie, baby Scarlet, younger brother Jacob, his girlfriend Bonnie, Roshini's brother's son Anand and wife Ruwani. Baby Scarlet of course was the star of the night.

Anand & Ru

Roshini in conversation with Anand and Ru

Family Pix

Left to right: Bonnie, Natalie, Jacob, Kuru, Sam with Scarlet, Roshini, Anand, Ru with Jess in the foreground. (Photographer: Ishaaq)




In the second picture Ishaaq replaced Nat, while she took the picture.